Changeable gear.



No. 821,248. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906. G. E LIPE & A. T. BROWN.

GHANGEABLE GEAR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15,1894.

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C/7a7'/$ 5 L4 A/eXam/e'r TBrown PATENTED MAY 22, 1906. C. E. LIPE & A.T. BROWN.

GHANGEABLE GEAR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @EFTCE.

CHARLES E. LIFE AND ALEXANDER T. BROWN, OF SYRACUSE, NEW A YORK.

CHANGEABLE GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed June 15, 18 94. Serial No. 514,661.

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES E. LIPE and ALEXANDER T. BROWN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inChangeable Gear, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to changeable gear for bicycles and othermachines and it consists in certain novel features and combinationshereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a bicycle having theimproved gear applied thereto; Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional viewthrough the rear hub and gear Fig. 3, a similar sectional view throughthe gear with the parts in a different position; Fig. 4, a verticalsectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 Fig. 5, a similar view on theline 5 5 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 a side elevation of the end of the axle.

A indicates the main frame of the machine, in which the rear axle orshaft B is firmly clamped, and C is the hub of the rear wheel, which isadapted to turn upon or relatively to the said shaft or axle.

Shaft or axle B is provided with an eccentric or eccentric end portionD, having a camgroove (1, Figs. 5 and 6, upon which is mounted aneccentric sleeve E, having a pin, stud,

or screw 1) to enter the cam-groove, the eccentricity of the sleevebeing equal to that of the shaft. Sleeve E is provided with an inclinedcircumferential flange c and with an adjustable beveled collar d, Figs.2 and 3, which form a runway or seat for the balls 6, the said collarbeing flanged, as at f, and provided with holes g, Figs. 2, 3, and 4, inorder that it may be adjusted or removed. At its outer end the sleeve Eis provided with or fashioned into a pinion h, which, as shown in Figs.2, 3, and 4, is concentric with the outer end of the shaft, and saidpinion is engaged by a reciprocating rack or rack-bar F, whereby thesleeve may be turned or rotated. This rackbar is supported at its lowerend and held in engagement with the pinion by means of a clip i, carriedby the frame, and passes at its upper end through an eye j, secured tothe frame within reach of the operator. Bar F is provided with a lug k,which is held in engagement with the upper face of the eye by means of aspring Z, as in Fig. 4, the eye being of such a width, however, thatwhen the bar is moved backward against the spring it may, together withits lug, pass downward throug the eye and in thus moving longitudinallyeffeet a rotation of the eccentric sleeve. Other means may obviously beused to hold the rack-b ar in its different positions without departingfrom the present invention.

Encircling the eccentric portion of sleeve E is a hollow sprocket-wheelG, which is pro vided internally with a V-groove m to receive the balls6 and externally with gear-teeth n, which latter are adapted to bebrought into engagement with the internal gear 0, formed upon or securedto one end of the hub under certain conditions.

WVhen the eccentric portion of sleeve E is above the shaft, Figs. 3 and4, the gear-teeth on the sprocket will engage those on the hub; but whenthe eccentric portion of the sleeve is thrown below the shaft thegear-teeth on the sprocket will be carried out of engagement with thoseon the hub, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the rocking or rotating of thesleeve being effected through the rack F and pinion h, as beforedescribed. When the sleeve E is turned or rotated to disengage thegearteeth, as just described, it is also moved inward upon the shaft byreason of the engagement of its pin or screw b with the cam-slot a,thereby carrying its clutch-teeth p into engagement with thecorresponding clutchteeth g, formed on the hub, as shown in Figs. 2 and3, thereby clutching the sprocket-wheel rigidly to the hub and causingthem to rotate together and. at the same speed.

The operation is as follows: WVhen it is desired to have a high speed,the rack-bar F is moved downward, thereby rotating the eccentric sleeveE in such direction, Figs. 2 and 5, as to throw it out of gearwith thegear on the hub and connect or clutch it-with the hub proper, thecam-slot a and pin 5 effecting the sliding movement of the sleeve andalso limiting the rotary movement. The sprocket being thus clutched tothe hub will rotate upon its sleeve and turn the hub at a speeddependent upon the proportions of the sprocket G and the sprocket on thepedal shaft and just as though the sprocket were formed upon the hub.When, however, lower speed and greater power are required, the rack-barF will be moved upward and will thereby turn the eccentric sleeve to theposition shown in Figs. 3 and 4, but in thus rotating through an arc ofone hundred and eighty degrees (or more or less, according to the throwrequired) it will, by reason of the cam-slot a, and pin b, be unclutchedfrom the hub and thrown into gear with the latter. Now when thesprocket-wheel G is put in motion by the chain it will rotate upon orabout its sleeve E upon the balls e and impart a slower rotation to thehub, as will be readily understood. The speed and power under thisadjustment will be governed or determined by the ratio or proportions ofthe two gears n 0.

While the present invention is designed more particularly for use uponbicycles and similar vehicles or machines, it is obvious that it can beemployed in connection with other machinery, the part O being fashionedto adapt it to the purposes to which the invention is applied.

It is not the intention to restrict the invention to the preciseconstruction illustrated in the drawings, which is but one form orembodiment of the invention, but to include and cover any sprocket-wheelwhich is adapted to be rigidly clutched to the hub or other part to bemoved or to be unclutched there from and thrown into gear therewith,whereby two diflerent speeds may be imparted to the hub or part to berotated, according to the relative positions of the said sprocketwheeland hub.

It will be noticed that the lateral or axial movement of the combinedsprocket and gear wheel G is very slight, not being sufficient to carrythe pinion it out of gear with the rack F nor sufficient to interfere inthe least with the proper working of the sprocketchain.

the reciprocating rack-bar any other mechanical device may be arrangedto actuate the eccentric sleeve; but the construction shown is preferredbecause of its simplicity and the ease with which it may be operated.

What is claimed as new is 1. In combination with a fixed axle having aneccentric extension; a wheel-hub encircling the body of the axle andprovided with a clutch member; a rotatable member mounted on theeccentric extension of the axle and provided with an eccentric portion;a combined sprocket and gear carried by the eccentric portion of saidrotatable member, formed with a clutching member, and movable at rightangles to and also in the direction of the length of the axle; and meansfor so moving the combined sprocket and gear lengthwise of the axle;whereby it may be thrown into and out of gear With or clutched to andunclutched from the wheel-hub.

2. In combination with a fixed axle having an eccentric extension, amember tobe driven, mounted loosely upon said axle and having aclutching portion; a combined sprocket and gear having a clutch memberor portion adapted to clutch with the member to be driven; an eccentricsleeve mounted upon the eccentric extension of the axle and carrying thecombined sprocket and gear; a cam connection between said sleeve and theextension on which it is mounted; and means for rotating said sleeve,such rotation serving to carry the combined sprocket and gear radiallyinto and out of mesh with the member to be driven, and to move itlongitudinally out of and into clutching relation with said member, themeshing and clutching relations occurring in alternation.

3. In combination with an axle having an eccentric portion; a hubthereon provided with a gear and with a clutch member; an eccentricsleeve mounted upon the eccentric portion of the axle; a combinedsprocket and gear mounted upon the sleeve and provided with a clutchmember; and means for actuating the sleeve, whereby the combinedsprocket and gear may be brought into a po 'sition concentric with theaxle and clutched directly to the hub, or into a position eccentric tothe axle and thrown into gear with the hub.

4. In combination with an axle having an eccentric portion; a hubprovided with gearteeth and clut ch-teeth and concentric with the bodyof the axle; a combined sprocket and gear wheel provided withclutching-teeth an eccentric loosely encircling the eccentric portion ofthe axle, constituting a bearing for the combined sprocket and gear, andserving to move the latter at right angles to the axle to throw itdirectly into and out of gear with the hub; and means for moving thecombined sprocket and gear longitudinally of the axle to clutch itdirectly to the hub or to unclutch it therefrom.

5. In combination with a fixed axle having an eccentric extension, a hubmounted upon the body of the axle, open at one end, and provided withclutch-teeth and internal gearteeth; a combined sprocket and gear, alsoprovided with clutch-teeth; and an eccentric sleeve, carrying thecombined sprocket and gear, encircling the eccentric extension of theaxle, and movable radially into and out of gear with the hub gear-teeth,and also movable axially to clutch with and unclutch from the hubclutch-teeth.

6. In combination with a fixed axle having an eccentric extension; a hubmounted upon the axle, open at one end, and provided at such open endwith internal gear-teeth and with clutch-teeth; an independent sprocketadjustment of said support.

and gear wheel provided with clutch-teeth; and an eccentric sleeve orsupport for the combined sprocket and gear, mounted upon the eccentricextension of the axle and movable both longitudinally and rotativelythereon, and adapted to carry said combined sprocket and gear intoconcentric and clutching relation with the open-ended hub, or out ofclutching relation and into meshing eccentric relation therewith,according to the 7. In combination with a member to be driven, providedwith a clutch member; an axle having a main body portion and a portioneccentric thereto; an eccentric sleeve mounted upon the eccentricportion of the axle; a combined sprocket and gear mounted upon thesleeve, provided with a clutch member, and adapted to be thrown into andout of gear with the member to be driven, or to be clutched to orunclutched therefrom; and means for moving the combined sprocket andgear longitudinally of the axle, during the rotation of the sleeve bywhich it is moved radially.

8. In combination with an axle having an eccentric portion, a hubmounted to turn upon the axle and provided with gear and with clutchingteeth; an eccentric sleeve upon the eccentric portion of the axle; acombined sprocket and gear carried by said sleeve and provided withclutchingteeth; and means for rotating the sleeve and for moving thecombined sprocket and gear lengthwise of the axle.

9. In combination with an axle B, having a cam-slot a, and an eccentricend D; a hub C mounted upon the axle and provided with gear 0 andclutch-teeth q; an eccentric sleeve E provided with pin 6 and gear orpinion h; means for rotating the sleeve; and a sprocketwheel G mountedupon the sleeve and provided with gear a, and clutch-teeth p.

10. In combination with an axle B providedwitha cam-slot a, and aneccentric end portionD; a hub O mounted upon the axle and provided withgear 0 and clutch-teeth q; an eccentric sleeve whose eccentricity isequal to that of the axle end D; a pin 1) and gear 7t carried by thesleeve; means for rotating the sleeve; and a sprocket-wheel G provided.with gear n and clutch-teeth p.

11. In combination with an eccentric axle and a hub; the combinedsprocket and gear wheel, adapted to be connected with and disconnectedfrom the hub; the eccentric sleeve; a pinion h, and the reciprocatingrack-bar F engaging the pinion for actuating the eccentric sleeve. I

1 2. In combination with a supporting-shaft, a driving member lo'osethereon, provided with gear-teeth and with clutching-teeth; a member tobe driven, also loose upon the supporting-shaft, and provided withgear-teeth and with. clutching-teeth; and means for moving the drivingmember on the shaft at right angles to. and also in the direction of thelength of the shaft whereby it may be thrown into and out of gear withand unclutched from or clutched to the other member.

13. In combination with a wheel to be driven, provided with clutch-teethand with gear-teeth; a combined clutch and gear wheel; an eccentricsleeve constituting an axle for said combined clutch and gear wheel; andan eccentric axle for the sleeve; the two eccentric members serving tothrow the combined clutch and gear radially into and out of gear withthe gear-teeth of the driven wheel, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof we hereunto set our hands in the presence of twowitnesses.

Witnesses:

J. R. MONTAGUE, A. A. Sonnxox.

